


Headline News

by TheaterTherapy



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, BMC snuck its way into this fic, Connor is soft as hell, Director!Alana, Evan is an anxious boy, F/F, Fluff, Galaxy Gals, High School, Jared's actually a good stage manager, M/M, Newsies!Connor, Techie!Evan, Zoe and Connor are bffs, Zoe plays guitar in the pit, newsies au, treebros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 09:30:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11354667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheaterTherapy/pseuds/TheaterTherapy
Summary: He really needed to stop listening to Jared. No, even better, he needed to stop letting the shorter boy convince him that putting himself out there was a good idea.In which Jared convinces Evan to help out as a techie for the school musical, Connor almost falls off a chair while trying to tap dance, and Zoe tries to play matchmaker, but she really needs to be more subtle about it.(AKA the newsies AU no one asked for)





	1. Spotlights and Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! Just a quick note before we start. :)
> 
> This is my first fic for the DEH fandom, so I hope it's alright. In my version of the story, Connor has been getting help for his problems and has been going to therapy for a while, now. He still has his bad days, but he has gotten a lot better, and even mended his relationship with Zoe. If he seems a little less intense than usual, that's why. :P 
> 
> Hope you like it, enjoy!

He really needed to stop listening to Jared. No, even better, he needed to stop letting the shorter boy convince him that putting himself out there was a good idea. It didn’t help that his family friend had teamed up with his mother, which was honestly playing  _ so _ dirty, because he knew Evan couldn’t say no when Heidi would beam at him and look so  _ hopeful _ . He could still see her, blonde locks pulled back into a messy bun, saying something along the lines of,  _ “put yourself out there, being involved in extracurriculars looks great on college applications, sweetie!”  _ That’s how Evan found himself high above his school’s auditorium in a stuffy, dark room, complete with an ancient looking spotlight. All-in-all, it wasn’t the worst thing Jared had begrudgingly gotten him to agree to, not that the blond would ever admit to it. 

 

Evan was still amazed that his high school was able to procure the rights to  _ Newsies _ , which was how he found himself in his current predicament. The drama club had been desperately searching for a few extra hands to help with the technical parts of the show, and Jared was somehow able to convince Mr. Berkley, the director, to let him be a stage manager. Evan suspected he more or less wanted to boss his fellow classmates around, but that was beside the point. It probably helped that Alana was the student director and gave Jared a good recommendation, what with them being  _ ‘good acquaintances’  _ and all. Sadly, they were still in need of a person to run the spotlight, and Jared had bombarded the anxious boy with texts until Evan had finally agreed, if only to stop the brunet from waking him up at all hours of the night with reasons as to why he would be a valuable part of the show.

 

Honestly, anything was a step up from the time Jared had dragged him along to basketball try-outs. After a rather sad attempt at trying to make a three point shot, Evan had spent the remainder of try-outs hiding in the locker room trying to get his breathing under control.

 

The sandy-haired boy liked spotlighting. He was able to anonymously blend into the background, hidden aloft from judgemental eyes. It was also amusing to listen as Jared berated the student actors over the headset. Evan would often stifle his laugh with his good hand as his family friend would get into heated debates over the headsets with Michael, another techie who ran the soundboard. Apparently, debating over what old school game was the best was more important than watching the students stumble their way through  _ Seize The Day.  _ Alana, bless her heart, would always find a way to diffuse the tension before anyone’s feelings were hurt. 

 

Evan had always liked musical theater, not that he would admit to it when asked what his musical tastes entailed. Not that anyone asked, of course. He’d usually mumble that his music tastes varied, and would trail off in hopes that someone would change the subject. Maybe that’s why he agreed to helping out with the show in the first place. Or maybe it was because Zoe Murphy played guitar in the pit, and Evan could openly ogle her without being creepy. Oh, who was he kidding? It was still creepy, but at least Jared couldn’t call him out on it. Evan was pretty sure she was dating Alana, anyways. Not that he looked at her Instagram to find out. That was one time, Jared really needed to let that go!  

 

Altogether, being a techie hadn’t been all too terrible. Jared only minimally insulted him when he spotlighted the wrong actor, he got to watch one of his favorite musicals (even if it was performed by high schoolers), and his mom looked at him with pride whenever he left the house in order to go to rehearsal. 

 

Evan has been picking at his cast absentmindedly when Jared spoke over the headset, causing him to jump slightly.

 

“Evan! Quite staring at Zoe Murphy and spot her brother! He’s upstage center, on the table.” Jared said. He could practically hear the smirk in his voice, and he blushed crimson.

 

“I-I’m not staring a-at her!” He mumbled, but reluctantly did what he was told. The light fell on a lanky boy on top of a table, who performed a tap solo before jumping off and landing squarely on the stage. Wait, did Jared say Zoe’s brother? As in pot smoking, bad tempered Connor Murphy? The  _ I-threw-a-printer-for-shits-and-giggles  _ Connor Murphy? Evan squinted to get a better look at the boy. He was wearing a tank top and vest, complete with his long, unruly hair tucked underneath his cap. The blond’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. No wonder he hadn't noticed Connor before. He never would have pegged the boy as the musical type, let alone be that good at tap dancing. Evan followed him closely with the light, but also with his eyes. He couldn’t seem to look away! He’d never seen Connor move more than at an agitated walk, but now, the boy seemed to float. 

 

“Hey, Treevan, you can stop spotting Connor, now. You and those Murphys’, seriously, paint me a picture, do you flip between their Instagrams’ when you rub one out, or do you have one assigned for a specific day of the week-”

 

“Jared, bro, do I need to remind everyone listening to this about the time you tried to talk to Chloe and spilled water on your crotch, and we saw  _ everything? _ ” Michael chimed in, smile evident in his voice. 

 

Evan sighed in relief and made a mental note to thank the boy after rehearsal. The last thing he needed was for Alana to hear that he had a crush on her girlfriend, because then she would tell Zoe, and Zoe would think he was weird and disgusting and never talk to him again, not that she talked to him now, and then she’d think he had a thing for her brother, too, and Connor would find out and beat him up and he didn’t want to have to explain to his mom why he was coming home with a black eye, because then she’d worry and the last thing he wanted to do was worry her, because she already had so much to worry about with her job and classes and- 

 

Evan could feel the sweat creeping it’s way down his neck, and he forced himself to take some calming breaths. He did not need a panic attack right now, not when he still had two more hours of rehearsal left. Instead, he focused on following the male lead (Jeremy?, Evan thought his name was), as he tore up a newspaper. 

 

Rehearsal was mostly uneventful after that, to which Evan was thankful. Jared was unusually quiet on the drive home, most likely still butt hurt over Michael’s comment. The blond didn’t mind, and he quickly mumbled a half hearted goodbye as he ran to his dimly lit porch. Unsurprisingly, his mom wasn’t there, but a $20 with a quickly scribbled,  _ ‘Had to pick up Erica’s shift tonight. Love you!’,  _ was. He ignored the money and scavenged through their sparse cabinets. Evan counted his lucky stars as he found a forgotten frozen pizza pushed to the back of the freezer. He placed the pizza in the oven and retreated to his room in order to grab his laptop and some school supplies. 

 

The smell of pepperoni filled the tiny kitchen, and Evan’s stomach rumbled as he scrolled through FaceBook aimlessly. He let his thoughts wander, and his eyes widened in surprise when he realised he had been thinking about the brooding boy with the surprising tap dancing talent. 

 

The blond had always thought of Connor as an outcast, like himself, but at least people feared Connor enough not to bump into him in the halls or openly mock him to his face. Seeing him up on stage, grinning and looking more alive than Evan ever remembers must be throwing him for a loop, because why else would ever be thinking of a Murphy that wasn’t Zoe? Before Evan could work himself up, the timer on the oven beeped, and he turned his thoughts to more important things, like resolutely ignoring the fact the Connor looked handsome when he smiled, or that Evan found it fascinating that he could dance circles around the rest of the cast. 


	2. Murphys and Musicals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor auditions for the show and Zoe saves Connor from vegan casserole.

Connor trailed behind Zoe as they entered their house, having rode along with her to school. He threw his backpack on the couch and proceeded to ignore his parents as he quickly bounded up the stairs to his room. 

 

The brunet flopped onto his bed, bouncing lightly on the cushy mattress. He rolled onto his back and quickly untied his hair, some of the more rebellious curls already escaping his bun. The boy took a moment to shut his eyes and de-stress, rubbing his temples lightly. It annoyed him to no end that a good majority of the cast had no prior dance experience, let alone enough to keep up with his skill level. Not that he expected Broadway level dance expertise, but most of his idiot classmates couldn’t differentiate between a flap-ball change and a shuffle. 

 

Not that he was complaining. Considering he was one of the only boys with prior dance experience, he was charged with the effort of being one of the principal dancers, and it was nice to be acknowledged for something other than being the resident school shooter. It also came with the perk of Zoe looking at him with something other than hurt or disgust. 

 

Though he’d never admit it to her, the main reason he had auditioned for the show was because Zoe had looked at him so earnestly as she tried to convince him to audition. Their relationship had been rocky for a while, and Connor saw this as a prime opportunity to start rebuilding their relationship. It had taken time, but they could now be in the same room together without screaming and threatening each other, to which Connor was grateful. Don’t get him wrong, he still had his bad days, but those seemed fewer and further in between. It also helped that he trusted Zoe enough now to talk about his problems, instead of bottling them up until he exploded. She would hug him and make him hot chocolate, even though it was still hot outside. He mentioned it to her once, but she only squirted some Ready Whip at him and told him to drink his hot chocolate or she’d take it back. 

 

Connor could still remember the look on Mr. Berkley’s face when he had walked into the choir room and slammed his audition form on the table. The director had raised a judgmental eyebrow and pursed his lips. 

 

“You’re auditioning for the show, Mr. Murphy?” He questioned, giving the boy a once over. The brunet bristled.

 

“Is that my name on the form?” He shot back, crossing his arms indignantly. The balding man nodded, more than a little irritated. 

 

“Then I’d say I’m goddamn auditioning, Mr. Berkley.” Alana, who had been sitting quietly for most of the interaction, decided to jump in before things could escalate. 

 

“I think it’s great that you’re auditioning, Connor! As the student director, I look forward to getting to work with you outside of our Chemistry class.” She said, chipper as ever. The girl quickly looked over his audition form. “Oh! I see you’ve taken ten years of dance! That’ll be really helpful, we might even consider you for a lead.” 

 

Mr. Berkley rolled his eyes and beckoned for Connor to begin his audition. His singing and acting had been decent, but Connor revelled in watching Mr. Berkley’s face as he performed a flawless tap routine, complete with wings. Alana had clapped and congratulated Connor on a job well done. He shot a cocky wink at the director before strolling out. 

 

Zoe had gently punched his shoulder, but gave him a hug and complimented him on his dancing. If Connor held the embrace for a second too long, who could blame him? He had always loved dance, and it was nice to have a member of his family acknowledge his talent instead of putting him down for it. It had broken his heart to have to quit tap dancing, but Larry had been adamant that dancing wasn’t for boys. In retaliation, Connor had taken his father’s priced signed baseball and thrown it into the woods behind their house.

 

Connor enjoyed getting to perform again. Sure, it had hurt when he walked into the first rehearsal and the theater nerds had looked at him with varying degrees of shock and fear, but they had gradually come to tolerate his presence when he taught the boys most of the tap parts to  _ King of New York  _ with minimal sarcasm. Some of them even smiled at him in the halls from time to time, now. 

 

Connor rose from his bed and quickly rolled a joint before carefully climbing out of his window and unto the small landing that faced the woods. Taking a long drag, he turned his face towards the sky and looked at the stars peeking through the gloom. Today had been the cast’s first run through with the orchestra and techies, and it hadn’t gone too badly, all things considered. The only thing Connor had noticed as odd was being spot lighted for a bit too long, only to look over to see the Jared Kleinman kid blushing fiercely and whisper-yelling into his headset. He shrugged it off, figuring it was just a technical issue that would work itself out. 

 

“Hey, doofus! Mom wants you to come down for dinner.” Zoe called, popping her head out the window. She gave the blunt he held a disapproving look, but didn’t comment. Connor quickly snuffed it out and climbed back into his room.

 

“What inedible thing has she made, this time?” He asked. Zoe smiled and rolled her eyes. 

 

“Vegan Casserole with Peanut Cauliflower Wings. If we hurry, we can watch dad try and distract mom long enough to shove it on his napkin.” Connor laughed quietly and followed his sister down the stairs. The smell of dinner hit him like a punch to the face, and the brunet grimaced.

 

“I have Domino’s on speed dial.” Zoe whispered before making her way to the table. Connor thanked his lucky stars for his saint of a sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the backstory, but I have to set the story up somehow ;P 
> 
> Kudos/comment appreciated <3


	3. Diners and Daddy Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cast goes out after rehearsal and Evan and Connor have a conversation.

“So, I was thinking we hit up Denny’s after rehearsal. Something about watching Rich accidentally kick a frying pan into the pit makes me crave pancakes.” Jared said over the headset, making Evan roll his eyes. Thankfully, no one had been hurt, but rehearsal had ended early after that little incident.

 

“That’s pretty weird, man. I’m down for some bacon, though.” Michael replied. 

 

“Evan? You coming?” The stage manager asked, but spoke before the boy could respond. “No, wait, you have to come. I’m your ride home. Unless you prefer walking?” Evan gulped at the thought of walking home in the dark. 

 

“N-no, I’ll come. It’ll be great.” He said, forcing a smile. Evan wasn’t a fan of big group settings and having to order for himself. What if the waitress got annoyed with him for taking too long to decide? He didn’t have time to panic before more voices began talking over the headset. 

 

“Hey, Alana! You down for some Denny’s?!” Jared yelled. Evan flinched at the sudden volume change, his ears ringing in protest. “Hey, what are you-no! Stop, that’s my-” The blond could hear a muffled protest before a female voice spoke through the headset.

 

“I’d love to spend some time with my close acquaintances! Am I allowed to bring Zoe?” Alana asked over the coms. Evan’s cheeks took on a pink tint at the thought of getting to go out with Zoe. Sure, they’d be surrounded by other people, but Evan was good at pretending. Maybe he could even have a civil conversation with her. Oh, who was he kidding? He’d be lucky if he got a coherent sentence out without stuttering. 

 

“Sure, the more the merrier! I planned on bringing Jeremy, anyway.” Michael replied. Evan thought he noticed that Michael sounded strange when he mentioned his best friend’s name, but brushed it off.

 

“GAY!” Hollered Jared, apparently having reclaimed his headset. “Ow!” 

 

“Nice hit, Zoe.” Michael praised as Zoe kissed her girlfriend on the cheek and gave the stage manager an effective side eye. 

 

“Hey, no, what are you doing?! Stop!” Jared’s headset was again lost to him as Zoe pryed it off his head. 

 

“Is it okay if my brother comes along? We kind of rode together, so…” The female Murphy trailed off, but Michael immediately picked up where she left off.

 

“Totally! I’ve been meaning to ask him about his rolling skills, seriously, the way he rolls his joints is so rad-” 

 

“Don’t you dare!” 

 

And that’s how Evan found himself wedged between Connor Murphy and Jared Kleinman at a crowded Denny’s. He recognized most of the faces of the cast and crew, and even a couple of the pit players had decided to tag along. 

 

Evan rolled the hem of his favorite blue polo, which brought him a bit of comfort, but did nothing to quell the growing knot in his stomach. What if Jared let it slip that he had a huge crush on Zoe? Evan wouldn’t have time to jump out of his seat and exit the crowded restaurant before Connor could catch up to him and murder him. Not that he thought Connor had murderous tendencies! He just knew that the brunet probably wouldn’t like it if he found out that Evan would watch his sister during jazz band concerts and imagine what it would be like if she smiled at him the way she did when she was playing her saxophone. 

 

“Evan, right?” The boy was brought out of his thoughts and turned to the person addressing him. Oh, no. Connor was addressing him. Could this boy suddenly read his thoughts? Connor was giving him a weird look, oh god, what if he had said that last part out loud?! 

 

“Evan.” He mumbled, clutching the hem of his shirt all the tighter. 

 

“That’s your name?” Connor asked, shifting to look more squarely at the sandy haired boy. 

 

“Sorry! Y-yes, it’s E-Evan! And you’re Connor!” He could feel his face heat up. 

 

“Yup, I’m Connor.” He said, clearly amused. Evan stared at his menu, biting his lip softly.

 

“Good.” He mumbled. Oh, god. He made the conversation awkward, didn’t he? In his defense, he and Connor had gone to school together for almost ten years and had barely spoken a word to each other, why did Connor have to start now of all times to try and engage him in conversation?! 

 

“You do the spotlight, don’t you?” Connor asked, finding the stuttering boy cute, especially when he blushed that attractive shade of pink. Wait, what? 

 

“Oh, y-yeah. That’s me!” Evan said, raising his casted hand slightly, as if volunteering for the role. He quickly drew it back to his side. Connor chuckled slightly, causing Evan to turn to him in surprise. 

 

“That one time you blinded Jake and he fell off the table was great, I’ve been meaning to congratulate you on that one!” He said, laughing harder. Evan grew redder, he had been absolutely mortified when he watched the jock fall off the table after just trying to spot him like Jared had told him to. 

 

“T-thanks…” It suddenly occurred to Evan that he had never seen Connor really smile before, let alone laugh. It was… nice. His eyes crinkled at the edges and his dimples became more prominent. 

 

“I didn’t know you could dance, that’s pretty cool?” His voice raised, making his statement sound more like a question. He didn’t stutter at least, so Evan counted it as a win. Connor nodded and ran a hand through his slightly curly hair.

 

“Yeah, I started dance when I was four. I had to stop when I was about fourteen because my old man’s a fucking idiot, so…” His eyes dulled, and Evan watched as he pinched his lips together. The blond couldn’t tell what had caused the dancer to switch emotions so suddenly, but he figured prodding him wouldn’t help. 

 

“Oh yeah, dads are the worst. Mine left when I was pretty young, so…” Why did he say that? 

 

Thankfully, or maybe not so thankfully, the waitress appeared to take the groups’ orders. Evan remembered that in his nervousness with talking to Connor, he had forgotten to even glance at the menu. Oh, no. He was going to hold up the group as they waited for him to decide on something, and then they would hate him and never invite him out again, and-

 

“What’ll you have, sweetheart?” The waitress asked kindly. Evan tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. Before he could even stutter out a somewhat coherent thought, Connor spoke up next to him.

 

“He’ll have a stack of chocolate chip pancakes. My friend?-” Connor stopped to look at Evan, just as surprised as he was that that had come out of his mouth, “-lost his voice during rehearsal, or else he’d order, himself.” 

 

“Well, I hope you get it back before the show, hun.” The woman said sincerely before moving to take Alana and Zoe’s order. Connor could see Zoe shooting him questioning looks between talking to the waitress and Alana. He brushed her off with a roll of his eyes before turning back to Evan. 

 

“T-thanks, C-Connor.” Evan squeaked. Maybe this night wouldn’t be as truly heinous as he thought it was going to be. “No problem.” Connor replied softly. 

 

“Hey, Connor! It sure was nice of you to order for your boyfriend, there. Are you going to pay for his meal, too?” Jared quipped. Evan blushed fiercely and hit his family friend on the arm as Connor shot back with a sarcastic remark about Jared’s left hand. Jared rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Alana, who was explaining how she had convinced Mr. Berkley to let her student direct the show. 

 

The evening went pretty smoothly after that, all things considered. Connor bickered back and forth with Alana and Zoe, and Jared got hit more than once for his sarcastic comments. Evan smiled and laughed when it was appropriate, and his pancakes were warm and chocolaty. He didn’t speak much to Connor after that, but he was grateful for the fascinating boy keeping most of the group’s attention away from him. During a quiet moment when Alana and Zoe were sharing food and Jared was gagging over the tooth-rotting adorableness, Connor had asked to sign his cast after commenting on the bareness of it. 

 

Evan let him.

 

Jared drove him home again, going on and on about how incompetent some of the freshmen techies were. Evan halfheartedly listened, more content to watch the dark trees whip past the window as he rubbed the spot where  _ CONNOR _ was now written. 

 

~*~*~

 

Soft light from his desk lamp washed over his small room. Evan booted up his old laptop and pulled up a Google document. 

 

_ Dear Evan Hansen, _

_ Today was a good day, and here’s why. Today, you went out to eat with someone who wasn’t your mom and didn’t make a complete fool of yourself. Zoe was there, and wasn’t that your goal, getting to go out to eat with Zoe? At least 10 other people were there, but small victories, right?  _

 

_ Sure, you talked more to Connor than Zoe, but…. Connor is nice. He’s a really good tap dancer, and he isn’t as scary when he isn’t in all black and scowling like he usually does. I mean, he still terrifies you, and you wouldn’t want to run into him on a bad day, but he called you his friend, and maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing? _

 

_ Keep your head up, you still have four more days of tech week.  _

 

_ Sincerely, me.  _

 

He closed the laptop and shut off his desk light, staring up at his ceiling in thought. Maybe his mom was right, maybe this year would be better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone from my high school actually kicked a frying pan into the pit while trying to perform Fiddler on the Roof. True story. Honestly, so terrifying. 
> 
> Kudos/comments appreciated :D


	4. Car Rides and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoe and Connor have a late night car ride chat.

“So, Evan Hansen?” Zoe commented, turning her attention from the road to waggle her eyebrows at her brother. Connor scoffed, trying to ignore the blush that stained his cheeks.

 

“Eyes on the road, shrimp.” He said, not unkindly. The guitarist turned her gaze back to the dimly lit streets, but not before poking her brother in the side. 

 

“He’s pretty cute, you know.” Zoe goaded, trying to get a rise out of her brother. Connor rolled his eyes. 

 

“Aren’t you gay?” He shot back, making Zoe chuckle quietly. 

 

“Sooo gay. Doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes.” 

 

“Whatever.” 

 

“I’m just saying, you’d make a disgustingly cute couple.”

 

“Road. Driving. Stop looking at me, you’re going to hit a pole.” Zoe laughed and swerved the car a bit, causing Connor to scrabble for purchase. He hoped his sister heard the mumbled,  _ “Bitch.” _ , under his breath. 

 

“Common, you never talk to anyone in a way that isn’t sarcastic, let alone order a meal for them.” Zoe urged, turning her big, blue eyes on him. 

 

“What are you looking for, a love confession?” He replied flatly, fiddling with a loose string on his jacket. 

 

“It’d be a start, but I think that would scare him off.” Zoe teased. Connor scoffed and crossed his arms defiantly. 

 

“Oh, like you would walk up to your crush and declare your undying love for them after sitting in a Denny’s for two hours. Everyone knows you don’t tell your crush you like them, it makes you look like an idiot.” He really shouldn’t have tempted his sister, because Zoe rolled down her window with a pestering glint in her eye. 

 

“I LOVE ALANA BECK!!!” She screamed, indigo streaks whipping around her face, smile wide and carefree. Connor quickly reached over his sister and rolled the window up as Zoe giggled. As much as he tried to maintain his glare, he couldn’t help the smile raising the corners of his mouth. 

 

“Somehow, I don’t think yelling my feelings at Evan is going to make him like me.” 

 

“So you do like him?” 

 

“Fuck.” 

 

Zoe didn’t push him to tell her more, but the knowing smile on her face wasn’t helping Connor’s mental state. Sure, he found the awkward, stuttering boy cute, and he wished he would speak up more, but he could tell Evan was still scared of him. Seriously, that printer thing happened a  _ long  _ time ago, let it go already! 

 

In all honestly, Connor had only really taken notice of the boy earlier that year. He had been standing next to Kleinman, worrying the hem of his t-shirt and clutching his casted arm as he listened to the boy ramble on about one thing or another. Connor had been staring at his cast before looking up to meet a pair of sad, blue eyes. Evan had ducked his head away from Connor’s intense scrutiny, but the brunet continued to stare. He had recognized that look, he had worn the same one a few months back when he had tried to swallow a handful of pills. 

 

After that day, Connor had taken to keeping an eye on the boy, though never directly interacting with him. If a couple of bullies stopped picking on the blond though, who was to say Connor had anything to do with it? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you catch the Very Potter Musical reference? ;P 
> 
> Also this is v short, I'm v sorry


	5. Letters and Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan needs to do better at his job and Heidi is a good mom.

After the Denny’s outing, Evan had been acting weird. Well, weird being a relative term. He used to think he had trouble turning his gaze away from Zoe when she played in jazz band. Now, it seemed another Murphy had caught his attention. 

 

The spotlighting booth was uncomfortably hot that day, and standing next to the large light in black clothes wasn’t helping. Evan wiped his brow and leaned up against the opposite wall as Jared’s voice spoke over the headset.

 

“Evan, can I get a spot on your boyfriend?” The blond blushed and approached the spotlight.

 

“H-he’s not my boyfriend, and you k-know that.” Evan said, refocusing the light and quickly spotting the lanky teen tapping away on stage. He bit his lip softly. Connor had the same smile Zoe would wear in band when she lost herself in the music. His brow wasn’t creased in anger and his eyes shined with something other than sadness. He was beautiful. 

 

Evan let a small puff of air escape his lips and leaned against the light, content to watch the brunet. Hidden in the thick shadows, he allowed himself to track Connor’s every move, from the graceful way he jumped above the other boys to the way he effortlessly pirouetted. The blond could admit, if only to himself, how creepy it was that he was watching his (maybe?) friend a little  _ too _ closely. He couldn’t stop himself, the boy was just so mesmerizing! 

 

But what if Connor found out how stalker-y he was being and stopped talking to him? Not that he talked to him anyway, but… Maybe Evan would work up enough confidence to talk to him after rehearsal. Jared had mentioned something to him about going out afterwards with the cast, so... He could strike up a conversation with Connor about his sketches! He had seen the boy’s script last night, and it had been littered with little doodles of nature and animals. Evan could do that. All he had to do was walk up and say,  _ “Hey, cool drawings! I’ve seen your work, it’s really good!” _ ,  like any normal person would do when one complements another, with no stuttering and awkward blushing. He could do that! 

 

Oh, who was he kidding? He’d probably freak out and mutter something along the lines of,  _ “D-drawings, I mean, your drawings, i-in your script!... And, they’re like, really g-great!”,  _ and Connor would raise an unimpressed brow and tell Zoe about how lame he was, and-

 

“...van.”

 

-Connor would probably regret writing his name on his cast, and make Evan scribble it out, or worse, maybe even-

 

“Evan!”

 

-Sure, Evan had long ago come to terms with the fact that he was bisexual, but in a  _ very recent  _ development, he had started forming a tiny, microscopic crush on Zoe Murphy’s brother, and that thought was enough to make his breathing quicken, god, what if the Murphys’ found out and started berating him for it, it’s not like he could control his feelings, he needed to leave, he needed to stop having feelings for people who couldn’t reciprocate them, he needed someone to protect him from the demons in his head, he needed-

 

“EVAN!” 

 

Evan slammed his casted arm into the light in surprise, causing it to shake slightly. He whimpered in pain and clutched it to his chest. He bit his lip to keep his snuffling to a minimum, and lifted his hand to readjust his headset.

 

“Y-yes?” He said timidly. Jared didn’t yell at him often, as he knew it didn’t do well with Evan’s anxiety, so he must have been trying to get the boy’s attention for a while now. His face heated up, knowing that most of the techies must have heard the interaction.

 

“Connor’s solo has been over for at least a solid minute and a half, so if you could stop following him with the light, that’d be great.” Jared muttered sarcastically. Evan could have smacked himself in the head. He had been so wrapped up in his mind, he hadn’t processed that he was eccentrically following Connor with the light instead of turning it back on the leads. 

 

“S-sorry! I-I was j-just a l-little c-caught up in m-my head.” He said, stuttering more than usual. 

 

“Hey, happens to the best of us! Why don’t you take a break, man? I know it gets fucking hot up there, how about I talk a freshie into spotting for a while?” Michael chimed in, much to Evan’s relief. He quickly agreed and ripped the headset off. The boy was out the door and down the stairs before he could hear Michael’s reply. 

 

~*~*~

 

Evan enjoyed being in the computer lab after hours. Only a couple of lights were left on, bathing the room in soft yellows. The computers were turned off, except for one towards the back of the classroom where the sandy-haired boy resided. He stared at the softly blinking line as it waited for him to type something more than just,  _ Dear Evan Hansen _ . He sighed and blankly stared at the keyboard, hoping for some divine intervention to help him get his letter done. In truth, he probably wouldn’t give it to Dr. Sherman. His head was just so crammed full of spiraling thoughts that getting them on paper felt like the only way to release some of the pressure building up behind his eyes. He flexed his slightly shaking hands and finally placed them on the keys.

 

_ Dear Evan Hansen, _

 

_ Today could have been...better. You avoided having a full on breakdown in the light booth, so that’s good.  _

 

_ On the bright side, you’re doing a good job as a techie. You’re more competent than the freshmen, and mom looks so happy whenever you tell her you went out with the crew after rehearsal. Sure, you might have messed up a little bit when you focused way too much on Connor instead of the leads, but maybe he didn’t notice? Maybe he just thought you were taking a break, and the light just happened to be pointed in his direction? Who are you kidding? He’s probably laughing backstage with the rest of the cast.  _

 

_ Even so, that won’t stop you from trying to figure out the enigma that is Connor Murphy, will it? How is it that someone who seems so closed off and intimidating sing and dance and smile like he doesn’t care that it’s only a high school show?  _

 

_ He’s not what you expected. You expected him to be all cutting words and spiteful insults, but instead he was nice and understanding and ordered food for you when you couldn’t. He even signed your cast so it would look like you weren’t the friendless loser you actually are. Sure, there’s Zoe, and she’d be your idea of what the perfect girl would look like, but then there’s Connor, and the heartbroken look in his eyes is something you recognize. Even if he only wanted you as a friend, that would be enough, right?  _

 

_ No, it would never be enough… because you want someone to quiet the noises in your head and see past your broken parts….see past the mess that you are…. You want him to see the good parts of you. _

 

_ Maybe Michael can convince one of the stage hands to take over your job, and you can go back to sitting at your house by yourself and NOT thinking about Connor and how happy he looks when he performs, and how you wish he’d look at you that way. Hopefully Jared will forgive you eventually. _

 

_ Sincerely,  _

_ Me  _

 

A shrill ring penetrated the once quiet computer lab, jolting Evan from his thoughts. He quickly unzipped the front pocket of his backpack and pulled out his off brand cellphone. The cheery face of his mother’s contact lit the screen, and Evan swallowed thickly before answering the call.

 

“H-hi, Mom.” 

 

“Hi, sweetie! I’ve got good news.” Heidi spoke excitedly. Evan could practically see her bouncing on the balls of her feet, a large smile spread across her pretty face. “I got Erica to cover my shift. I figured with you working so hard at rehearsal, you’d appreciate a meal that wasn’t takeout. So, I was thinking we’d bring back Taco Tuesday. What do you say?” 

 

“No, yeah, that’d be great.” Evan said genuinely. It wasn’t often his mother had the time to have dinner with him, and truth be told, he had missed getting to spend time together. Maybe they could even pop in a cheesy rom com like they used to. 

 

“Great, I’ll see you after rehearsal. I love you, Evan.” She said gently. The blond bit his lip, his chest feeling a bit too tight.

 

“I love you, too, Mom.” Evan hung up quickly and hit print on his computer. He could hear the whirl of the printer in the far corner and he began to pack up his things. The boy was abruptly stopped in his tracks by the sound of books tumbling to the ground. Turning his head quickly, he watched as several abused copies of  _ Intro to Computers  _ textbooks fell to the ground. Deciding he’d rather make it home to his mom instead of investigating, the blond quickly grabbed his paper from the tray and scurried out the door while sending a hasty text to Jared that he didn’t feel well and was heading home.  

 

Connor stepped out from the shadows and watched the retreating form of Evan before the door closed completely. The brunet almost followed him out before a flash of light caught his eye. Turning, he saw a lone computer with a Word document still up. He eyed it curiously and walked over. 

 

Usually Connor would close out of the document, but a peculiar line caught his eye before he could hit the tiny, red ‘X.’ 

 

“Dear Evan Hansen…” He mumbled, taking a seat at the computer. “Today could have gone better…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now it's just Michael in the sound booth at the musical. 
> 
> Also, I love Heidi and wish she got more screen time than just a phone call.


	6. Word Docs and Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor goes to Zoe for dating advice.

He hadn’t meant to follow the sandy-haired boy to the computer lab. He wouldn’t have even noticed Evan in the first place if he hadn’t been standing close to the curtain where Jared had been berating the boy for spotting him a bit too long. Connor had figured Evan was just trying to get used to the large spotlight and hadn’t quite been able to maneuver it with his cast. 

 

Not long after, a shadow with a shock of blond hair could be seen hastily exiting the back doors of the theater. Connor would have missed it if he hadn’t been looking out into the empty rows of chairs. It struck him as odd that Evan was leaving early. Usually the boy would reappear after rehearsal and wait patiently for Jared until they drove home together. Standing, he pushed an unsuspecting sophomore out of his way and exited the stage. 

 

“Where are you going? You still have half the scene left, and the script doesn’t say,  _ Exit - Tall Dark, and Psychotic. _ ” Jared said, lips pulling up at the corners.

 

“Fuck off, Kleinman.” He sang sweetly over his shoulder as he exited the theater altogether, trying to find where the other boy had run off to. The halls were deserted, with only a few lights flickering sadly against the beige floors. The brunet was about to turn back toward the theater when a light at the end of the hallway caught his attention. 

 

Connor quietly opened the door and peered in, only to see Evan clutching a cellphone to his ear and smiling brightly. The brunet figured he’d let the boy get off the phone before interrupting him, so he closed the door behind him and walked toward the side of the room, trying to figure out the best way to not startle to skittish boy. Lost in thought, he barely registered the stack of textbooks on the table before they were tumbling to the ground. He bent down to retrieve them, and by the time he had a stack in his arms, Evan was out the door. 

 

“Damn it…” He cursed lightly, letting the textbooks fall around his feet. Stepping around the mess, he noticed that Evan had forgotten to close his document in his haste to leave the school. Wanting to respect Evan’s privacy, he went to close out of the document when he noticed the odd title. It was a letter addressed to Evan! Connor sat down with a plunk, eyes scanning over the letter. His eyes widened and he could feel his face heat up. The dancer read over it several more times, until he was sure he had it memorized. Connor swallowed the lump in his throat, and maybe because he was still a bad person at heart, he hit the print button before he could stop himself. The teen closed out of the document and grabbed the paper from the tray, still warm. 

 

Disregarding decorum, he shoved the paper into the pocket of his costume and headed straight for the pit. He could just make out the indigo streaks in his sister’s hair before he was climbing over a piano player to get to her. 

 

“Zoe!” He hissed, ignoring the complaints of the other percussionists. “Zoe!” The guitarist turned, a look of shock coloring her pretty features. “Connor! Get out of here! The show’s not over yet, we still have like, three more songs!” She hissed back, trying to shoe him away. 

 

“Don’t care.” He said, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her out of her seat. Zoe had to jog to keep up with Connor’s longer strides. She was panting lightly by the time Connor stopped in the costume room, quickly checking to make sure no one was around. Zoe huffed and put her hands on her hips, staring up intimidatingly at her brother. 

 

“Dude, what the hell?” She accused, rounding on the taller sibling. He rolled his blue eyes and imitated her pose, much to Zoe’s ire. 

 

“This is important. I saw Evan leave rehearsal early and he looked kind of sad so I followed him to the computer lab and he left before I could say anything and he left a word document open so I walked over and read it and-”

 

“First of all, that’s super creepy, why are you following him-”

 

“Zoe, that’s not really the point I was trying to make right now-”

 

“So, you  _ do _ admit that it’s creepy-” 

 

“Zoe! He mentioned me in his note and how he’d maybe be interested in me as more than a friend.” The brunet spit out, trying to make his sister see logically. The guitarist’s anger faded instantly and she smiled brightly up at Connor. She quickly grabbed his shoulders and shook them lightly. 

 

“Oh, my god! That’s perfect! You, me, Alana, and Evan can totally double date!” Connor couldn’t bring himself to wreck his sister’s good mood. 

 

“Zo, before we can double date, I think I have to ask him out on an actual date. Isn’t that how normal people do it?” Rolling her eyes good naturedly, she stepped back and blow a strand of hair out of her eyes.

 

“Yeah, I guess. Is that why you had to drag me out of the pit before my favorite song? For dating advice?” 

 

“Who else was I going to go to? Fucking Larry?” The siblings stared at each other before breaking into giggles. Zoe clutched at her sides as Connor bit his lip to keep from laughing. When they had mostly calmed down, Zoe took Connor’s hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “Let me text Alana. She’s a genius when it comes to romantic gestures. You and Evan will be dating quicker than it takes Jared to eat a bath bomb.” 

  
“Wait, I thought that was just a joke someone made to try and piss Jared off?” Connor questioned, following his sister back to the pit. When she didn’t reply, Connor’s brow furrowed. “It’s not bullshit?! I’m going to give him  _ so _ much shit for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want them to be bffs, is that too much to ask for?


	7. Rom Coms and Rides Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor gives Evan a ride home and Evan gives Connor pizza.

“Evan, common! It’s just for a couple of hours! I promised my mom I’d give you rides home from rehearsal, and you know that car insurance isn’t going to pay itself!” Jared begged as he tried to drag the blond toward his car. 

 

“C-couldn’t you just, I don’t know, drop me off at my house and then go over to Brooke’s? I-It’s just that I have a lot of homework that I should really be doing a-and-” The brunet cut him off with a wave of his hand.

 

“Your houses’ are like, on the opposite sides of town. Can’t you just do your homework at her house?” Jared was already in his car, leaving Evan to stare at his reflection in the hood. Rehearsal had been draining and tediously long, with Mr. Berkley stopping every couple of scenes to critique the actors. Evan had been hoping to go home and relax from the taxing day, but Jared was insistent on going over to Brooke’s house to hang. The last thing he wanted to do was hang out in a stuffy basement and watch as Jared socialized. The Denny’s outing been stressful enough, thank you. 

 

“Really, Jared, I think I-I’ll just walk home, it’s not too far-” 

 

“Hey, Zoe, Alana, other Murphy! Do you want a ride?!” Jared yelled from his car window, making Evan look up and meet a pair of piercing blue eyes. He quickly averted his gaze as the Murphy siblings and Alana approached Jared’s beat up Toyota. Zoe quirked a brow in confusion.

 

“Is there room for all of us? No offense, but your backseat is kind of tiny.” She stated, eyeing the seats. 

 

“Evan’s not going, and I figured you and Alana would sit on each other’s laps, so it’s all good-” Alana cut the boy off with a look of concern.

 

“How are you getting home, Evan? It’s already pretty dark out. Did you know that 90% of abductions are kids between the age of 10 to 17?” Connor broke his gaze away from Evan to stare at Alana with a look of bewilderment.

 

“Okay, maybe not the best time to bring that up, seriously, how do you know that? Now I’ll have to give Acorn here a ride or I’ll feel guilty when I see him on the back of a milk carton-” Zoe nudged her brother in the side as Jared spoke. He glared at her before realizing that she was trying to hand off her car keys to him. Even Alana had stopped paying attention to Jared to look at him with pleading eyes. 

 

“I can give you a ride, Evan. I was gonna head home anyways, so…” Connor said as he casually pinched Zoe’s side to get her to stop grinning like a lunatic. Evan had snapped his gave up to Connor’s so quickly, the brunet was sure he had whiplash. He clutched at the straps of his backpack and worried them between his fingers.

 

“Y-you really don’t have to do t-that. I-I’m sure my m-mom could pick me up during her dinner break.” He mumbled, biting his lip softly. 

 

“What’s your address?” Evan blinked and look hesitant to tell the taller boy. Jared looked between the two before rolling his eyes and shouting, “1200 Atlantic Street!” Connor huffed softly and met the anxious boy’s eyes. 

 

“You’re on my way, common.” He turned and headed towards Zoe’s silver Ford Focus without looking to see if the blond would actually follow. Evan looked at Connor’s retreating back to the three pairs of eyes staring at him. Zoe gave him a little thumbs up, as if to reassure him that Connor wouldn’t take him to some shady back alley and hide the body afterwards. He tried his best not to grimace and started following the other boy. 

 

“See you at practice tomorrow, Evan!” Alana yelled as she got in the backseat of the car.

 

“Be safe, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Jared called sweetly. Evan rolled his eyes and ignored the kissing sounds coming from the driver’s side window. 

 

~*~*~

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be in a car alone with Connor, it was just… Evan was not a conversationalist by nature. God knew he had spent enough silent car rides with his mom to know to fear them. At least when he rode with Jared, he didn’t have to contribute to the conversation, as the boy would go on and on about school, work, or crushes. What if they ran out of things to talk about, and there were awkward silences or long pauses, where he would have to think of something to say, and he said the wrong thing and Connor got offended? The last thing he wanted to do was scare off his pseudo friend before he even got to know him. 

 

Steeling himself, he opened the passenger side door and climbed in, careful to not track dirt on the sleek black seats and mat. He clutched his backpack tightly to his chest and watched as Connor started the engine and pulled out of the school lot. 

 

“Here, you choose the music.” The brunet said, handing Evan an AUX cord connected to the radio. The blond took it with trembling hands, unsure of what to do. He handed it back to Connor, who only raised an eyebrow in response.

 

“N-no, that’s okay. We can listen to whatever you want to listen to.” He explained, hoping to appease the other boy. Connor rolled his eyes and took his phone out to briefly scroll through his iTunes library. 

 

“Alright, a compromise, then. You like The Doors?” He glanced over at the blond to gage his reaction. Evan blushed but forced himself to maintain eye contact with the boy. “Oh, yeah! They’re really great!” 

 

“You have no idea who they are, do you?” 

 

“No, not at all.” Evan replied with a small laugh. Connor chuckled quietly and continued to scroll through his songs. He hummed in thought as he clicked on a song and placed his phone in the cupholder. “I have a feeling you know this song.” A guitar rift blasted out of the speakers, causing Evan to light up with surprise. 

 

_ “There’s a moment you know...you’re fucked.”  _ Melchior sang nonchalantly. Evan turned to Connor and was surprised to find the boy already staring at him. The blond laughed, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

 

“Really, Spring Awakening?” Evan joked, releasing his tight grip in his bag. Connor drummed his hands on the wheel before responding.

 

“Of course. How else am I going to express my ‘teen angst?’ He air quoted around the wheel, making the blond grin. 

 

“So, you like musical theater, then?” He asked, watching as Connor turned on to a suburban street. 

 

“I guess… Not so much the big ones with show tunes and costumes, but I’ve found a couple that I like. What about you, Hansen? Are you a closeted theatre nerd?” Connor turned and shot Evan a crooked smile, making him laugh nervously. 

 

“I-I wouldn’t say I-I’m a big musical theatre nerd, but common, who doesn’t sing Defying Gravity in their shower at least once?” Connor’s laugh surprised both of them. Evan ducked his head to prevent the brunet from seeing the blush that heated his cheeks. 

 

“I’ll give you that one.” They fell into a comfortable silence, Connor staring at the darkening roads and Evan staring out the window. He could hear the other boy singing under his breath as  _ Totally Fucked _ shuffled to  _ All That’s Known.  _ Evan was pleasantly surprised to find that Connor had a nice voice. He was content to listen to Connor sing the rest of the way to his house when he stopped and addressed the blond again. 

 

“Do you think you’d ever go out for a musical?” Evan could feel the back of his neck start to sweat at even the thought of having to get up in front of people and trying to sing and dance like Connor did.

 

“O-Oh, I-I-I don’t sing or dance, i-it would honestly b-be a--- w-well, I-I would be a mess and, n-no I-” The brunet put a comforting hand on his thigh. Evan bit his lip, he could feel the warmth of the other boy’s hand through his thin khakis. 

 

“Hey, calm down. I didn’t mean to make you nervous, that was a stupid question.” Connor looked guilty. Shit! He made it awkward and now Connor would never talk to him again, and they had had such a nice conversation in the car, damn damn damn-

 

“No, no, no! It’s totally fine!  _ Ijustgetnervousinfrontofcrowds- er,  _ I can’t really talk in front of people let alone  _ dance-”  _ A squeeze to his thigh cut off his ramblings. He hadn’t realized he’d been talking so fast. 

 

“Breath, Hansen.” Connor said lightly. Evan took a deep breath and stared down at his shoes in embarrassment. “If it makes you feel better, Zoe and I once had to dance to  _ Summer Nights _ , and I ended up knocking her over and landing on my ass after trying to pirouette. Granted, we were like, six, but still. I’ve never been the same.” That surprised a giggle from Evan. 

 

“Do you have it on video?” Connor barked out a laugh. 

 

“Are you actually teasing me? I didn’t think you had it in you.” He said, giving Evan’s thigh one final squeeze before reluctantly pulling away. “We’re here, by the way.” Evan was pretty sure he imagined the dejected note in Connor’s voice when he said that. The blond could relate, he had enjoyed getting to spend time with the boy outside of rehearsal. Evan stared out the window and noticed that his mom’s car was missing from the driveway. Making a spur of the moment decision, he turned to Connor.

 

“I-If you’re not doing anything, you can eat dinner a-at my house? I totally understand if you don’t want to, you probably want to eat dinner with your family, anyway-” 

 

“No, that’d be great. I’ll use any excuse to not have to eat whatever vegan shit my mom’s decided to shove down my throat.” He flippantly responded as he unfastened his seatbelt and walked to Evan’s tiny front porch. The blond followed and quickly unlocked the door, leading Connor into the dimly lit entryway. The shorter boy turned on a few lights and headed toward the kitchen. Seeming to find what he was looking for, he headed back to the brunet taking off his boots by the door.

 

“My mom left a $20 for food, so I was thinking pizza? Unless you’d prefer something else?” Evan asked, flashing the money at Connor. To the blond’s dismay, Connor’s eyes shut in ecstasy and he moaned, biting his lip. Evan felt as red as a tomato and had to fight to not cover his face with his hands.

 

“I haven’t had pizza in so long, my mom won’t let us have it. Seriously, do you know how hard it is to sneak a pizza into our house without her knowing?” He turned to Evan and blinked slightly. “Are you okay? You look a little red.”

 

“F-f-fine. I-I’ll just go order it online. Is pepperoni alright?” Evan mumbled, not bothering to wait for a response as he scurried to get his laptop. He could hear Connor hum in appreciation.

 

“Pepperoni would be fan-fucking-tastic.” 

 

The pizza arrived shortly after, Connor taking care of the delivery person and Evan getting their drinks and setting up a makeshift table around the television. They flipped through a couple of channels before deciding on some romcom Evan couldn’t bother to remember the name of. He chewed on a slice of pizza absentmindedly before turning to Connor.

 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but why’d you stop dancing? I’ve seen you perform Newsies at least ten times now, and it looks like it makes you really happy, so?” Evan trailed off, hoping he didn’t offend the boy. Connor didn’t look angry though. If anything, he looked tired and defeated. 

 

“Listen, I’m only going to tell you this because we’re friends.” Evan felt his heart skip a beat. Even with all his stuttering and awkwardness, Connor still wanted to continue whatever this was. “My dad had always wanted a big sports star for a son. He’d always try and get me to play catch with him in the yard. He still insisted I’d be a great baseball player even after I shattered the Harris’ window with the ball.” He laughed condescendingly at that, making Evan’s brow crease in concern. 

 

“He’s a traditional guy, and I guess the thought of having a son that was anything other than the epitome of masculinity was too much for him. He forced me to quit, how messed up is that? Seriously, it was one of the only things that made me happy, and he took it away because  _ he  _ didn’t agree with it… God, sometimes I just hate him so much, and there’s nothing I can do to make him understand…” Connor trailed off, his long hair falling over his eyes. Evan sighed sadly and scooted over so he was closer to Connor on the couch. He placed a tentative hand on his arm, and when Connor didn’t shake him off, he squeezed lightly.

 

“Listen, I know I’m not the best with words, but… You’re you, and that’s enough.” Connor turned to look at him, blue eyes wide and vulnerable. Evan couldn’t help it, he leaned in. This close, he could see the shadows cast from the brunet’s long lashes. He looked down at his lips, and Connor licked them subconsciously before returning the blond’s gaze. Was Connor going to kiss him? Should he really be kissing his first real friend he’d made in years? 

 

A shrill ring broke the tension, making the boys leap away from each other like they had been shocked. Connor pulled out his phone and looked at the Caller I.D. before growling and throwing his phone on the table in front of him. Evan fiddled with his cast, trying to calm his racing heart. Should he address the elephant in the room, or play it off like he wasn’t totally going to try and run his fingers through Connor’s soft looking hair. In the end, Connor ended up sprawling out on the couch and watching the end of the movie, Evan following suit shortly after. He could save the awkwardness for another day.

 

~*~*~

 

Heidi Hansen unlocked the door of her small but cozy home. She quickly threw her keys in the bowl by the door and noticed that the kitchen light was left on. The blonde checked her phone briefly for the time, wondering if her son had forgotten to turn it off before heading to bed. Shrugging, she took note of the mostly empty pizza box on the table. She smiled tiredly and made a mental note to congratulate Evan in the morning. Grabbing a slice, she went to turn off the kitchen light when she noticed two lumps on the couch. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she walked over to investigate. 

 

She could make out the sandy hair of her son reclining on the left side of the couch, trapped under a stranger’s long, thin legs. She couldn’t make out the other’s face, as it was buried in a pillow. So, Evan had made a friend from school? Though she was saddened that he hadn’t told her about this recent development, she knew better than to push. Instead, she grabbed a thick blanket from the linen closet in the hall and laid it over the sleeping boys. She kissed Evan’s forehead lightly before turning out the light and retreating to her room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some actual dialogue between these two!


	8. Bad Days and Blow Ups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor is having a bad day.

When Jared had come to him and asked him to be a part of the tech crew, he should have stood his ground and said no. He should have walked in the opposite direction and turned his phone off until Jared got the hint. He should have not been such a coward, because now Evan found himself in the spot booth mildly panicking over the fact that he really wanted to kiss his friend. The blond looked down at the stage where said friend was dancing, and he quickly put the light on him for his small solo. Evan sighed, his thoughts running away with the cheery music. 

 

He had woken up under Connor’s legs, the boy in question snuffling quietly on the other end of the couch. Evan had smiled fondly and shook him awake. He even convinced him to shower before school! 

 

Evan had been monotonously eating his cereal when Connor had walked into his kitchen, hair hanging in wet strands around his face. He was wearing one of Evan’s favorite blue V-neck shirts, making his face heat up slightly. Maybe he should have been angry that Connor had stolen his clothing, but instead, he found it endearing. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to have stronger feelings for Connor than for his sister. 

 

Sure, Zoe was beautiful and funny and chill, but Connor was… relatable. He didn’t push Evan to do things he wasn’t ready for, or put him down for his stuttering and sweaty palms. He understood what it was like to be on the outside, always looking in on other people’s lives and wondering what it would be like to be normal. Evan could see them together. Maybe sitting quietly working on homework. Curled up on his worn couch watching movies. Hand in hand at the abandoned orchard outside of town, him identifying trees and Connor teasing him while lightly kissing the top of his head. Connor trailing kisses down his neck, nipping at his collar bones. His hands running lightly over his sides as he kissed his slightly parted lips. Connor undoing the button of his pants and-

 

“Evan, I swear to God, if you don’t get that spotlight off Connor, I’m going to come up there and beat you with the most hilarious prop I can find.” Jared said over the headset, causing Evan to gasp and quickly take the light off Connor. His hands shook as he tried to reposition the light.

 

“That’s not Jeremy you’re spotting, that’s a chair, but great effort.” Jared quipped. 

 

“S-sorry.” Evan mumbled, desperately trying to keep the spot on the lead as he confidently walked around the stage. God, he hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt. He hoped Connor was having a better day than he was.

 

~*~*~

 

Connor was not having a good day. 

 

Correction.

 

Connor was having a hellish, crummy, abomination of a day. After leaving Evan’s house to pick up some things from his own, he had immediately been cornered by his father, demanding to know we he had been and if he was under the influence. He had screamed back, telling Larry to fuck off and that he didn’t need his permission to go out. Off course he didn’t believe him when he said he had stayed at a friend’s house, either. The brunet believed his father only saw the worst parts of him, and had long ago given up on trying to make him proud. Connor had stormed out of the house, knocking down a picture frame with how hard he slammed the door.  

 

His day only proceeded to get worse, packed full of surprise quizzes, tedious lab work, and a group of punk ass sophomores trying to get a rise out of him. Connor was certain he’d hear about the black eye he gave the sniveling kid tonight at dinner, and then he’d have to endure Larry’s disappointed stare while trying to push Cynthia’s vegan shit around his plate. His saving grace was supposed to be rehearsal, but even that had gone down the drain. Mr. Berkley was in one of his moods, the stress of the show putting him on edge. 

 

It wasn’t even his fault. He had gone to step up on a chair and swing his leg over it when the spotlight had landed on him and left him momentarily blinded. White flecks of light danced around his vision as he tried to right himself, but it was a lost cause. The chair let out a warning creak before tipping on it’s side, taking the brunet with it. Connor tried to catch himself and ended up knocking down a surprised freshman. 

 

“Murphy! What the hell was that?!” Mr. Berkley yelled over the music. Connor bared his teeth and harshly yanked the freshman to his feet before turning on his heel and walking off the stage. Jared looked up from his script and shot the irate teen a teasing grin. 

 

“I know Evan can be a bit excessive with the light, but it’s only because he thinks you’re a star.” Jared flashed a pair of overexaggerated jazz hands at him. Connor clenched his fists to keep from punching the other boy in the face. Instead, he yanked the headset from his head and spoke quickly into the mic. 

 

“Hansen! If I could get through one fucking rehearsal without having you blind me with that damn light, my life would be a cakewalk!” He regretted it as soon as it left his lips. He turned to look at Jared. The usually charismatic boy was giving him a look of pure hatred, something Connor hadn’t seen in awhile. Jared ripped the headset off of him and started speaking into it quickly, obviously trying to calm Evan down. The brunet didn’t stay to watch, he couldn’t. Grabbing his backpack, he roughly pushed open the stage door and walked out into the parking lot, still sporting his Newsies costume. 

 

When he reached Zoe’s car, he kicked the wheel and immediately regretted it. Pain shot through his foot and he cursed lightly. With shaking fingers, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from a hidden pocket in his backpack. Connor had been doing a good job with trying to stay clean, but in times of stress he gave in. He lit it quickly and took a long pull. 

 

He’d probably just destroyed any chance he had of convincing Evan he was a decent person who was worth loving. Hell, he’d even take the boy’s friendship if it was salvageable. Connor needed to think, and think fast. 

 

He pulled out his phone and texted Zoe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He was doing so well, too.


	9. Sincerely's and Sorries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor apologizes and Evan does something he's never done before.

 

Evan had long stopped crying, but he could still feel the puffiness around his eyes. He was used to Jared’s yelling, but the last thing he had expected to hear was Connor’s voice over the headset. He’d never heard the boy so angry, and never directed towards him. He thought they had been doing so well, especially because Connor had called him his friend and allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of him. Maybe he had figured out why Evan followed him with the light so much, and was so disgusted that he had to put an end to it then and there? 

 

Rehearsal had gone in a daze after that, Evan monotonically doing his job and mumbling one word responses to Jared and Michael. All he wanted to do was go home and curl up in his bed, and maybe eat the rest of the ice cream in the freezer. 

 

Thankfully, practice ended fairly quickly, and Evan walked silently to retrieve his bag from where he left it backstage. As he approached his bag, he could see a piece of neatly folded paper sticking out of his backpack. His heart rate increased, fearly that someone had gone through his bag and read the letters to himself. The blond gulped and snatched the paper. Evan opened it, only to find it not was not addressed to himself. 

 

_ Dear Connor Murphy,  _

 

_ Today has not been a good day. You hurt someone who means a lot to you, and you don’t know if they are going to be able to forgive you.  _

 

_ You’re hoping they will stay after rehearsal so you can apologize to them properly, and if they don’t, you want them to know that you are really, really sorry. _

 

_ Sincerely, _

_ Me  _

 

Evan’s eyes swept over the page once, then twice more. His hands were gripping the paper so tightly that he feared he might rip it in two. Was this what Connor had been up to the rest of rehearsal? Looking around, he couldn’t spot the taller boy amongst the other cast members milling about. As much as he wanted to go home and eat his pint of ice cream, hearing what Connor had to say seemed more important. 

 

“Hey, Evan! You ready to go? My mom’s got burgers at home and I’m willing to break some traffic laws to get to them.” Jared yelled as he approached the blond.

 

“Oh, that’s okay. My mom’s actually picking me up, tonight.” Evan said, hoping Jared wouldn’t pick up on the lie. The brunet looked unconvinced.

 

“Really, Heidi’s picking you up?” He questioned, cocking his hip slightly. 

 

“Y-yeah, we decided to go out to eat instead of getting takeout.” He looked anywhere besides Jared’s intrusive gaze. The brunet stared at him hard before sighing dramatically and throwing his hands up in a placating gesture. 

 

“Alrighty, then. See you, tomorrow.” Jared walked through the stage door, most of the cast doing the same a few minutes later. Evan took a seat on the set, hidden mostly in the shadows. The final few people left, leaving the blond in complete silence. He played with the hem of his polo, hoping Connor would show up already so he didn’t have to sit in the dark theater by himself for longer than he had to. 

 

The sound of footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up to see Connor shyly approaching the stage, still in his newsies costume. He gracefully hopped up on the stage and took a seat next to the blond, careful to keep some space between them. He sighed and took his cap off to run a hand through his silky hair. 

 

“I didn’t think you’d stay, after what I said to you.” He started. Evan only shrugged and rubbed at his cast. The brunet looked at him with sad eyes but didn’t force him to talk.

 

“Listen, you don’t have to believe any of the shit coming out of my mouth, but… I’m sorry. I was having a bad day, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you… sometimes it all just feels like too much, and I was angry, and-” He trailed off, shaking his head sadly. “Well, if this isn’t the saddest fucking apology I’ve ever heard-”

 

“N-no, it’s okay. I know a thing or two about bad days.” Evan said with a small smile. Connor turned to him in surprise. 

 

“Wait, you’re actually forgiving me?” Connor’s eyes widened a fraction, and he looked in amazement at the blond.

 

“W-well, yeah. We’re friends, right?” Connor could only nod in response. “But if you ever yell at me in front of all the techies again, I’ll burn your tap shoes.” Evan said, causing Connor to double over in laughter. 

 

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” The brunet said, spitting in his hand and offering it to Evan. The shorter boy looked at it with distaste before gripping the other boy’s hand lightly. “C-cool.” Holding tight to Evan’s hand, he pulled him out to the center of the dimly lit stage. Evan squeaked in surprise and gripped Connor’s shoulders to keep his balance.

 

“Common, how about a show you a couple of moves? We’ve got the whole place to ourselves, anyway.” 

 

“Oh, that’s okay, I don’t really dance anyway-”

 

“Too late!” Connor yelled as he spun Evan around the stage, leaving the blond no choice but to follow. The brunet’s smile almost made up for the fact that Evan stepped on his toes a couple of times. The dancer only shrugged them off and assured the blond he was doing fine. Evan couldn’t contain his own laugh when Connor tried to dip him, only to have both boys tumble to the ground in an unorganized heap. Evan could feel the blush creeping up his neck as Connor stared at him with large, unguarded eyes. He bit his lip lightly and watched as the brunet followed the movement. 

 

“Is this alright? Because if I start, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop…” He whispered, bringing his face closer to Evan’s. The blond met Connor’s pale blue eyes, seeing nothing by trust and vulnerability. He nodded.

 

Soft, thin lips met his in a chaste kiss, stealing Evan’s breath. As soon as it had been there, though, it was gone. The blond’s eyes opened slowly, staring up into Connor’s stormy blues. Deciding for once in his life to be brave, Evan took Connor by the back of the neck and pulled him down, clumsily connecting their lips. The taller boy made a surprised noise before readjusting their lips and bringing them closer together. He carded his thin fingers through Evan’s hair, making him absolutely melt. Even with his cast, the blond was able to run the pad of his finger against Connor’s sharp cheekbone while the other curled in his hair. Connor lightly sucked on his lower lip before pulling away with a light pop.

 

“I’ll make you a deal, Evan.” He said, voice rough with emotion. “If we don’t have anymore spotlighting incidents, I’ll let you pick where I take you on our first date.” 

 

And that’s how Evan found himself in a yellow field framed with trees, ice cream in one hand and Connor Murphy’s in the other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost over! Thank goodness, too. I want to go to bed.


	10. Extra ;P

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does this make them creepy for watching this?

Four sets of eyes watched the boys dancing around on stage. Zoe sighed dreamily and laid her head on Alana’s shoulder. Jared made a gagging sound and looked at the girls. 

 

“Seriously? You’re keeping me from my mom’s food just to watch these two be incredibly gay together? 

 

“Shut up, Jared.” Zoe and Alana said in unison. 

 

“I didn’t know Connor had that mad of game. I wonder if he could teach me that move.” Michael lamented, taking a sip from his Mountain Dew Red. 

 

“Thanks, taught him everything he knows.” Zoe said, snuggling closer to her girlfriend. Jared rolled his eyes.

 

“I need new friends.” 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over, the end! 
> 
> If anyone was wondering, the show went well, Connor got a lot of love for his tap dancing skills, and he and Evan went out on that double date Zoe's been begging for.
> 
> Seriously, this fic was only supposed to be 3k at the most, idk what happened but here we are! Thanks for sticking with me this long, it's been a blast. ;P I hope you enjoyed reading it, I had fun writing these characters. 
> 
> Welp, that's all I've got. Have a great rest of the week, stay out of trouble, don't do anything I wouldn't do.
> 
> Kay, love you, bye! <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts, as this is my first DEH fic and I want to do the characters justice. 
> 
> Kudos/comments always appreciated. :)


End file.
